Encourage, Equip, Entertain

Encourage, Equip, Entertain

These three “E” words are embedded in my author’s “mission” statement. It reads:

“My mission is to encourage, equip and entertain Christian women through stories and reflections that highlight God’s grace and redemptive power.”

Articulating a mission statement is something I try to do annually as part of my strategic planning. I find it helps give me direction and purpose.

I want to encourage readers in their Christian walk. Whether it be through one of my devotional books or through my fiction, encouraging others is always uppermost in my mind. At the end of every story or reflection, I hope that readers feel uplifted and strengthened to face whatever challenges they encounter, simply because God is God and He is still on His throne.

Next, I want to equip readers to grow in their faith and in Christian service. This may seem obvious when it comes to non-fiction like a devotional book, but I believe that fiction has the power to teach as well, sometimes in a more profound way than we may realize since the message is wrapped in a story.

This is a nice segue to the last point: entertain. On the surface, this may sound frivolous, but I believe it is essential. We all need an outlet for our emotions at times and a good book is just that, especially if it contains Christian values. However, a novel full of advice and Bible verses without a solid storyline that keeps the reader reading isn’t really worth much since people might not finish it. An entertaining story is a wonderful vehicle for encouragement and equipping. All three must work together.

There are so many other great E words that could be applied, like evangelize, for instance. However, my primary purpose is not to convert since my target audience is probably already saved. Evangelism is a nice side effect – and I know it can happen – but it isn’t my primary focus. This is helpful for me when it comes to my writing and why having a mission statement has helped me zero in on my purpose for writing.

What about you? Have you ever considered writing a mission statement as an author? I challenge you to take a deep dive and really drill down into your reasons and purpose for writing. You might be surprised!